SINGAPORE - A 27-year-old man was arrested on Monday (April 22) for allegedly cheating Carousell users over Universal Studios Singapore and ZoukOut Singapore 2018 entry tickets.

In a statement on Tuesday, the police said that they received several e-commerce scam reports from victims between December last year and March.

Victims said that after they made payments to the man through bank transfers, he could not be contacted.

Through investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department identified the man and arrested him on Monday.

He is believed to have cheated at least 25 victims of more than $3,400.

If convicted of cheating, the man faces a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The police advised the public to take the following precautions when shopping online.

- Bear in mind that the party you are dealing with online is a stranger. Before performing a transaction on an online shopping site, find out how the site safeguards your interest or can help you resolve disputes;

- Insist on cash on delivery especially if responding to online classified advertisements;

- If advance payments are required, use shopping platforms that provide arrangements to release your payment to the seller only upon your receipt of the item;

- Be mindful that although sellers may provide a copy of an identification card or a driver's licence to gain your trust, it may not necessarily belong to the person communicating with you online; and

- Note that scammers may use a local bank account to enhance credibility.

The public can visit scamalert.sg or call the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688 for more information.

Those who are aware of such scams should call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness